Amazon Prime Video Soars, Apple TV Struggles: The Myers Report Reveals Stark Contrasts in Streaming Performance

The 2024 Myers Report Survey highlights the significant disparity between Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV, two streaming platforms positioned at opposite ends of the performance spectrum. With insights drawn from seven key performance categories, this report evaluates their strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth.

The Myers Report’s October 2024 survey of advertising professionals provides an in-depth analysis of perceptions surrounding media company value and sales organization performance. Over several weeks, The Myers Report is sharing data on advertising community perceptions of several media companies. Today’s report focuses on Amazon Prime and Apple TV, which were evaluated along with 14 streaming services. The full The Myers Report survey assessed perceptions of 50 media companies across several categories.  Subscribers to The Myers Report receive proprietary presentations. This analysis focuses on Amazon Prime and Apple TV performances, which are at the top and bottom of the performance spectrum. The Myers Report analyses on additional media companies are available at www.myersreports.com. The full The Myers Report survey assessed perceptions of 50 media companies across several categories. Subscribers to The Myers Report receive proprietary presentations. Scroll down for methodology and details.

Amazon Prime Video: A Leader in Performance

Amazon Prime Video secures the #1 overall ranking in the survey, showcasing exceptional performance across multiple key metrics. Below is an analysis of its strengths:

1. Meets or Exceeds Cost Efficiency Goals:
   • Index: 105
   • Rank: 7th
   • While not the strongest performer in this category, Amazon Prime still surpasses the average, offering solid cost efficiency for advertisers.
2. Delivers Large Audience Reach:
   • Index: 125
   • Rank: 2nd
   • Amazon Prime demonstrates its ability to deliver a substantial audience, second only to YouTube TV.
3. Delivers Access to Targeted Audiences:
   • Index: 126
   • Rank: 2nd
   • High performance in audience targeting underscores Amazon Prime’s robust analytics and audience segmentation capabilities.
4. Is Brand Safe:
   • Index: 129
   • Rank: 2nd
   • Amazon Prime ranks as a top choice for brand safety, instilling confidence in advertisers.
5. Offers Sponsorships and/or Creative Opportunities:
   • Index: 130
   • Rank: 1st
   • Amazon Prime leads the market in offering innovative sponsorship opportunities, making it an appealing platform for creative advertising campaigns.
6. Effectively Communicates Its Value:
   • Index: 125
   • Rank: 2nd
   • Amazon Prime excels in articulating its value proposition, demonstrating alignment with advertiser needs.
7. Delivers Attentive Sales Organization Support and Service:
   • Index: 112
   • Rank: 6th
   • While still strong, this category shows an opportunity for improvement compared to its other rankings.
8. Overall Performance:
   • Index: 122
   • Rank: 1st
   • Amazon Prime’s high scores across categories secure its top spot, highlighting its well-rounded strengths.

Apple TV: Struggling to Compete

Apple TV finds itself at the opposite end of the spectrum, ranking 14th overall out of 16 platforms. Only Fubo and Philo rank lower among the 16 evaluated streaming video companies. Apple TV’s performance reveals significant challenges across most categories:

1. Meets or Exceeds Cost Efficiency Goals:
   • Index: 42
   • Rank: 15th
   • Apple TV’s low score in cost efficiency makes it one of the least competitive platforms for advertisers seeking budget-friendly solutions.
2. Delivers Large Audience Reach:
   • Index: 49
   • Rank: 14th
   • Apple TV struggles with audience reach, reflecting limited scalability compared to leading platforms.
3. Delivers Access to Targeted Audiences:
   • Index: 52
   • Rank: 14th
   • Poor targeting capabilities further hinder its competitiveness, indicating a need for better audience segmentation tools.
4. Is Brand Safe:
   • Index: 86
   • Rank: 11th
   • While not the lowest-ranked, Apple TV’s brand safety is still well below the leaders in this category.
5. Offers Sponsorships and/or Creative Opportunities:
   • Index: 61
   • Rank: 13th
   • Apple TV’s limited creative offerings make it less appealing for advertisers seeking innovative campaigns.
6. Effectively Communicates Its Value:
   • Index: 54
   • Rank: 14th
   • Apple TV struggles to clearly convey its value to advertisers, highlighting a disconnect in sales and marketing communication.
7. Delivers Attentive Sales Organization Support and Service:
   • Index: 50
   • Rank: 14th
   • Poor sales support further diminishes Apple TV’s appeal, emphasizing the need for significant improvement in client service.
8. Overall Performance:
   • Index: 56
   • Rank: 14th
   • Apple TV’s low scores across the board place it among the weakest performers in the survey.

Key Comparisons: Amazon Prime Video vs. Apple TV

• Strengths:
  • Amazon Prime Video consistently ranks in the top three across most categories, with standout performance in sponsorship opportunities and audience targeting.
  • Apple TV’s highest ranking is in brand safety (#11), but this is far below Amazon Prime’s #2 position.
• Weaknesses:
  • Apple TV significantly underperforms in cost efficiency, audience reach, and value communication, placing near the bottom in these categories.
  • Amazon Prime Video’s weakest category is sales support (#6), which presents an opportunity for improvement.

Opportunities for Apple TV

To close the gap with competitors like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV should prioritize:

1. Enhancing Audience Reach: Expand its content library and partnerships to attract a larger viewer base.
2. Improving Cost Efficiency: Develop more budget-friendly advertising solutions to appeal to cost-conscious advertisers.
3. Strengthening Sales Support: Invest in training and resources for its sales team to better support advertiser needs.
4. Refining Value Communication: Align messaging with advertiser priorities to improve perceptions of its value.

The 2024 Myers Report highlights Amazon Prime Video as a top-performing platform, excelling in almost every category and securing the #1 overall ranking. In contrast, Apple TV’s poor performance across key metrics places it among the weakest in the competitive set. With strategic improvements, Apple TV could begin to close the gap, but for now, the disparity underscores the importance of innovation and advertiser alignment in driving platform success.

Introduction to The Myers Report Survey and Methodology

The 2024 Survey of Advertiser and Agency Planners, Buyers, and Influencers, conducted by The Myers Report, serves as a vital benchmarking tool for evaluating the perceptions of media companies and their sales organizations. This comprehensive survey provides actionable insights into how leading advertising-supported streaming video platforms are performing in delivering value and meeting the needs of their advertising partners. Visit www.MyersReports.com for additional reports and company analyses.

Purpose of the Survey

The Myers Report survey aims to:

1. Assess Media Company Value: Evaluate how well media organizations align with advertiser and agency priorities, including cost efficiency, audience targeting, brand safety, and overall value.
2. Benchmark Sales Organization Performance: Highlight how effectively media companies' sales teams deliver client service, communicate value, and support advertisers' needs.
3. Inform Strategic Decision-Making: Provide advertisers and agencies with data-driven insights to optimize media planning and buying decisions.

Promote Industry Excellence: Highlight high-performing organizations, setting benchmarks for best practices and excellence in the rapidly evolving advertising landscape.

Survey Scope and Methodology

The Myers Report survey represents input from 550 respondents in October 2024, including advertisers, planners, buyers, and influencers, and was conducted in collaboration with the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), the 4A’s, and leading media agencies. The study focuses on 50 media companies including 13 broadcast and cable media companies, 16 advertising-supported streaming video platforms, seven digital/social platforms, four out-of-home media sellers, and five MVPD distributors. evaluating their performance across seven key categories, including cost efficiency, audience reach, brand safety, and client service.

Role of The Myers Report

For over three decades, The Myers Report has been a trusted source of intelligence for the advertising and media industry, delivering in-depth research and insights. This survey is an extension of that legacy, providing advertisers and media professionals with a clear understanding of competitive performance and opportunities for collaboration and growth.

Through its findings, The Myers Report empowers decision-makers with the knowledge to navigate the dynamic media ecosystem and drive greater value in their partnerships with media companies. For more information contactjack@mediavillage.org.